26th District Democrat Gene Hart is giving Republican incumbent Matt Lohr a run for his re-election money, literally. Aside from Hart, though, Democratic candidates contending for seats representing the Central Shenandoah Valley in Richmond are struggling to keep pace with their Republican counterparts.

Hart actually outraised Lohr in the Sept. 1-30 reporting period, according to reports both filed with the State Board of Elections this week. Hart took in $9,974.04 in the month of September, while Lohr raised $4,040 in the period.

Of Lohr’s total, $1,500 came from political action committees – the Altria Corporate Services PAC, the Virginia Coal Association PAC and the Virginia Hospital Association PAC. Hart did not receive any PAC monies in the period.

The two are nearly identical in fundraising year to date. Lohr has raised $89,698.53 for his campaign; Hart has raised $89,555.05 for his campaign.

The three races in the Greater Augusta area are being dominated moneywise by the GOP slate, with much of the advantage coming in PAC dollars. In the 20th District, Republican Dickie Bell outraised Democrat Erik Curren by a significant margin in September, $24,300.36 for Bell to $4,319.99 for Curren. Bell had $10,000 in PAC dollars in his coffers, with the PAC donors including the HBAV Build PAC, the Medical Society of Virginia PAC, The Good Fund, VADPAC, the Virginia Automobile and Truck Dealers Association PAC, the Virginia Beer Wholesalers PAC, the Virginia Optometric Association PAC, the Virginia Wine Wholesalers PAC and the Waste Management PAC.

Bell’s campaign-finance report also contained $3,118 in in-kind contributions from the campaign of 20th District State Del. Chris Saxman, two PACs and two local businesses and a $1,000 contribution from the campaign of House Speaker Bill Howell.

The Bell report also listed $1,769.37 in debts remaining unpaid as of the Sept. 30 end to the reporting period.